Disposable shoe tree device



Jan. 10, 1967 FLElSK;

DISPOSABLE SHOE TREE DEVICE Filed Feb.

F/G. 4 25B W5 36 NATHAN FLEISIG BY M j/VQ/flQm J n ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,296,637 DISPOSABLE SHOE TREE DEVICE Nathan Fleisig, 1727 Gerritsen Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11229 Filed Feb. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 524,923 6 Claims. (Cl. 12-1156) The present invention relates to a disposable shoe tree device. More particularly, the invention relates to a disposable shoe tree device for an infants shoe.

Known shoe trees are bulky, heavy, clumsy, massive and expensive to manufacture. Most known shoe trees are very difficult to use and especially difiicult to adjust. They are constructed of heavy woods and metals. If they are adjustable, their adjusting mechanisms are complex and utilize nuts, bolts, screws and the like. They require great strength for operation, in most cases. Known shoe trees are too expensive to manufacture to be disposable and are therefore used for the life of the shoe or, perhaps, for the lives of a few pairs of shoes.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoe tree device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a disposable shoe tree device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable shoe tree device for an infants shoe.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree of light weight but great strength and durability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree of simple structure which is used and adjusted with great facility and little strength.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree which includes an adjusting mechanism of simple structure which is utilized with facility.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree device which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree device of plastic material which may be manufactured by a molding process.

In accordance with the present invention, a shoe tree comprises a toe portion having a lower edge in the shape of the border of the sole of a shoe, an upper part, a front intermediate part in the shape of the front of a shoe between the lower edge and the upper part and a back intermediate part between the lower edge and the upper part having a back edge. A heel portion has a lower edge in the shape of the border of the heel of a shoe, an upper part, a back part in the shape of the back of a shoe between the lower edge and the upper part and a front part between the lower edge and the upper part having a front edge. The toe portion and the heel portion are pivotally coupled by a strip of flexible plastic material affixed at one end to the toe portion at the upper part thereof and aflixed at its opposite end to the heel portion at the upper part thereof. The toe and heel portions are adjusted in position relative to each other by an adjuster spaced from the strip of flexible material and comprising first components affixed to the toe portion at the back intermediate part thereof and second components cooperating with the first components and affixed to the heel portion at the front part thereof. The toe portion comprises a plastic sheet having a configuration of the front and upper part of a shoe and the heel portion comprises a plastic sheet having a configuration of the back of a shoe. The strip of flexible plastic material may be integrally formed with the toe and heel portions at its opposite ends. Either or both of the toe and heel portions may have a plurality of apertures formed therethrough and reinforcing means, such as ribs or extra thickness of material, on the inside thereof.

In order that the present invention may be readily 3,296,637 Patented Jan. 10, 1967 "ice carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a shoe tree device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the lines II--II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the lines III-III of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the lines lV-IV of FIG. 1.

In the figs, the same components are identified by the same reference numerals.

As shown in the figs, the shoe tree device of the present invention comprises a front or toe portion 11 and a back or heel portion 12. The toe portion 11 and the heel portion 12 are shaped so that together they form the shape of a shoe. The toe portion 11 may comprise a molded sheet of plastic material such as, for example, polypropylene, of suitable thickness such as, for example, to inch. The thickness of the toe portion 11 is preferably about /8 inch and may be greater where required for structural strength. The inside of the toe portion 11, as shown in FIG. 4 may be ribbed, for example, by integrally molded plastic ribs 13 in order to enhance the structural strength of said toe portion.

The toe portion 11 has a lower edge or rim 14 in the shape of the border of the sole of a shoe, an upper part 15 which fits into the front portion of the opening of the shoe occupied by the ankle of the foot when the shoe is worn, a front intermediate part 16 in theishape of the front of the shoe and a back intermediate part 17 having a back edge or rim 18. A plurality of apertures 19 may be formed through the toe portion 11, especially in the front intermediate part 16 thereof, to facilitate drying of a shoe in which the shoe tree device is placed.

The heel portion 12 may comprise a molded sheet of plastic material of the same material and thickness as the toe portion 11. The thickness of the heel portion 12 may be A to inch along a back part 21 thereof in order to enhance the structural strength of said heel portion. The inside of the heel portion 12 may be ribbed, for example, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3, by integrally molded plastic ribs 22 in order to enhance the structural strength of said heel portion.

The heel portion 12 has a lower edge or rim 23 in the shape of the border of the heel of a shoe, an upper part 24 which fits into the back portion of the opening of the shoe occupied by the ankle of the foot when the shoe is worn, said back part 21 in the shape of the back of the shoe and a front part 25 having a front edge or rim 26. A plurality of apertures 27 may be formed through the heel portion 12, especially in the front part 25 thereof, to facilitate drying of a shoe in which the shoe tree device is placed.

The toe portion 11 and the heel portion 12 are joined to each other by a flexible plastic strip 28. The flexible plastic strip 28 is suitably affixed at one end 29 to the upper part 15 of the toe portion 11 and is suitably aifixed at its opposite end 31 to the upper part 24 of the heel portion 12 so that it provides a flexible bridge link between said toe and heel portions. The flexible plastic strip 28 may be integrally formed with the toe and heel portions 11 and 12 in the molding process, or in a heat application process.

The toe portion 11 and the heel portion 12 are flexibly coupled to each other at their upper parts 15 and 24, respectively, by the flexible strip 28. Thus, each of the toe portion 11 and the heel portion 12 is pivotally movable relative to the other in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction about the flexible strip 28 as a pivot. The flexible plastic strip may have a thickness of approximately inch and a width of approximately inch.

An adjusting device, having two principal components which cooperate with each other, is mounted with one of its components afiixed to the inside of the toe portion 11 at the back intermediate part 17 thereof and extending beyond the back edge or rim 18 thereof toward the heel portion 12 and with the other of its components afiixed to the inside of the heel portion 12 at the front part 25 thereof adjacent the front edge or rim 26 thereof. One component of the adjusting device comprises a pair of toothed, sawtooth or stepped members 32A and 32B. The spaced members 32A and 32B are identical and are mounted symmetrically about a plane extending through the center of the toe portion 11 and the heel portion 12 along the length of the shoe tree device. A toothed member 32A is suitably afiixed to one side 17A of the inside of the toe portion 11 at the back intermediate part 17 thereof and extends beyond the back edge or rim 18 thereof toward the heel portion 12. The other toothed member 328 is suitably afiixed to the other side 17B of the inside of the toe portion 11 at the back intermediate part 17 thereof and extends beyond the back edge or rim 18 thereof toward the heel portion 12.

The toothed members 32A and 3213 may comprise plastic material and may be integrally formed with the toe portion 11 in the molding process. Each of the toothed members 32A and 32B is of substantially striplike configuration having a plurality of teeth, steps or surfaces 33A and 33B, respectively, formed therein in its extending part. The teeth, steps or surfaces 33A and 33B are formed in the toothed members 32A and 323, respectively, by notches of substantially triangular crosssection.

The other component of the adjusting device comprises a pair of projections 34A and 348. The spaced projections 34A and 34B are identical and are mounted symmetrical about the plane about which the members 32A and 32B are symmetrical. A spaced projection 34A is suitably affixed to one side 25A of the inside of the heel portion 12 at the front part 25 thereof adjacent the front edge or rim 26 thereof. The other spaced projection 34B is suitably affixed to the other side 25B of the inside of the heel portion 12 at the front part 25 thereof adjacent the front edge or rim 26 thereof.

The projections 34A and 348 may comprise plastic material and may be integrally formed with the heel portion 12 in the molding process. Each of the projections 34A and 34B is of elongated configuration having a surface coplanar with the front edge or rim 26 of the heel portion 12. The surface of the projection 34A abuts against any tooth, step or surface 33A of the toothed member 32A, as selected by the operator and the surface of the projection 34B simultaneously abuts against the corresponding tooth, step or surface 338 of the toothed member 3213.

A handle projection 35 is suitably affixed to or integrally formed with the heel portion 12. The handle projection 35 may comprise plastic material formed with the heel portion 12 in the molding process. The handle projection 35 projects beyond the rest of the shoe tree device and facilitates the handling of said shoe tree device. More particularly, the handle projection 35 facilitates the insertion of the shoe tree device into a shoe and the removal of the shoe tree device from a shoe.

The shoe tree device of the present invention is especially adapted for use with an infants shoe, because an infants shoe is soft and wet upon completion of the manufacturing process and must therefore be provided with a shoe tree for proper shaping during the drying process. Since the known shoe tree is expensive to manufacture, it is customarily removed from the shoe before the shoe is shipped from the factory. This means that the shoe must remain in the factory until the shaping and drying process is completed.

The shoe tree device of the present invention is so inexpensive to manufacture that the shoe with the shoe tree in it may be shipped from the factory before the shaping and drying process has been completed thus d saving storage space and time during the manufacturing process.

The shoe tree device of the present invention may remain in the shoe until the shoe is actually placed on the wearers foot. The shoe tree device of the present invention may then be disposed of or retained by the purchaser for use in the shoe when it is not being worn.

The shoe tree device of the present invention is adjusted for use with different sizes of shoe by the operator. The operator applies force in the directions of the arrows 36 and 37 with his fingers on the toe portion 11 in the area of the back intermediate part 17 thereof to disengage the toothed members 32A and 32B from cooperating contact with the projections 34A and 34B. In FIGS. 1 and 4 the shoe'trce device of the present invention is shown in fully extended, open or unused condition.

Prior to inserting the shoe tree device of the present invention in a shoe, the operator applies manual pressure to the back intermediate part 17 of the toe portion 11 in the directions of the arrows 36 and 37 and moves the heel and toe portions 12 and 11, respectively, toward each other about the pivot provided by the flexible plastic strip 28 until the extending parts of the toothed members 32A and 32B are positioned inside said heel portion and the back edge or rim 18 of said toe portion is in essential abutment with the front edge or rim 26 of said heel portion at least in the area of the adjusting device. The shoe tree device is then inserted into the shoe.

If the shoe is of a size corresponding to the fully closed condition of the shoe tree device, said shoe tree device is left in said shoe without further adjustment. If the shoe is of a larger size, the shoe tree device is adjusted either before or after insertion into the shoe, by the operator, for a larger size. This is achieved by the application of manual pressure in the directions of the arrows 36 and 37 as described. The operator then moves the heel and toe portions 12 and 11, respectively, away from each other about the pivot provided by the flexible plastic strip 28 until the back edge or rim 18 of said toe portion is spaced from the front edge or rim 26 of said heel portion and the surfaces of the projections 34A and 34B abut the desired corresponding surfaces or teeth or steps 33A and 33B, respectively. Thus, if the surfaces of the projections 34A and 34B abut the corresponding surfaces 33A and 3313 which are closest to the heel portion 12, the shoe tree device is adjusted to its maximum usable size, and when the surfaces of said projections abut the corresponding surfaces 33A and 338 which are farther from said heel portion and closer to the toe portion 11, the shoe tree device is adjusted to progressively smaller sizes. As soon as the adjusting device is set as desired, the pressure applied in the directions of the arrows 36 and 37 is released.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific example and in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A shoe tree device, comprising a toe portion having a lower edge in the shape of the border of the sole of a shoe, an upper part, a front intermediate part in the shape of the front of a shoe between the lower edge and the upper part and a back intermediate part between said lower edge and said upper part having a back edge;

a heel portion having a lower edge in the shape of the border of the heel of a shoe, an upper part, aback part in the shape of the back of a shoe between the lower edge and the upper part and a front part between said lower edge and said upper part having a front edge;

coupling means pivotally coupling said toe portion and said heel portion, said coupling means comprising a flexible plastic strip afiixed at one end to said toe portion at the upper part thereof and afiixed at its 0pposite end to said heel portion at the upper part thereof; and

adjusting means for adjusting the positions of said toe a toe portion comprising a plastic sheet having a configuration of the front and upper part of a shoe, said toe portion having a lower edge in the shape of the border of the sole of a shoe, an upper part, a front intermediate part in the shape of the front of a shoe between the lower edge and the upper part and a back intermediate par-t between said lower edge and said upper part having a back edge;

a heel portion comprising a plastic sheet having a configuration of the back of a shoe, said heel portion having a lower edge in the shape of the border of the heel of a shoe, an upper part, a back part in the shape of the back of a shoe between the lower edge and the upper part and a front part between said lower edge and said upper part having a front edge;

coupling means pivotally couplingsaid toe portion and said heel portion, said coupling means comprising a flexible plastic strip integrally formed with said toe and heel portions at its opposite ends; and

adjusting means for adjusting the positions of said toe and heel portions relative to each other, said adjusting means being spaced from said coupling means and comprising first components affixed to said toe portion at the back intermediate part thereof and second components cooperating with said first components and affixed to said heel portion at the front part thereof.

A shoe tree device, comprising toe portion comprising a plastic sheet having a configuration of the front and upper part of a shoe, said toe portion having a lower edge in the shape of the border of the sole of a shoe, an upper part, a front intermediate part in the shape of the front of a shoe between the lower edge and the up er part and a back intermediate part between said lower edge and said upper part having a back edge;

a heel portion comprising a plastic sheet having a configuration of the back of a shoe, said heel portion having a lower edge in the shape of the border of the heel of a shoe, an upper part, a back part in the shape of the back of a shoe between the lower edge and the upper part and a front part between said lower edge and said upper part having a front edge;

coupling means pivotally coupling said toe portion and said heel portion, said coupling means comprising a strip of flexible material affixed at one end to said toe portion at the upper part thereof and affixed at its opposite end to said heel portion at the upper part thereof; and

adjusting means for adjusting the positions of said toe and heel portions relative to each other, said adjusting means being spaced from said coupling means and comprising first components afiixed to said toe portion at the back intermediate part thereof and second components cooperating with said first components and afiixed to said heel portion at the front part thereof, the first components of said adjusting means comprising a pair of spaced symmetrical stepped members affixed to the opposite inside sides of the back intermediate part of said toe portion and extending beyond the back edge of said toe portion toward said heel portion, and the second components of said adjusting means comprising a pair of spaced symmetrical elongated projections afiixed to the op.

posite inside sides of the front part of said heel portion adjacent the front edge of said heel portion, said projections having surfaces adapted to abut the steps of said stepped members, each of said stepped members comprising a plastic strip-like member integrally formed with said toe portion and each of said projec tions comprising an elongated plastic member integrally formed with said heel portion.

4. A shoe tree device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said coupling means comprises a flexible plastic strip integrally formed with said toe and heel portions at its opposite ends.

5. A shoe tree device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said toe portion has a plurality of apertures formed therethrough.

6. A shoe tree device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said toe portion and said heel portion includes reinforcing means on the inside thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 971,622 10/1910 Markey 12-117.4 2,270,936 1/1942 Doering et al. 12115.6 2,567,081 9/1951 Reser 12-1174 X 2,595,736 5/ 1952 Troutfetter 12-117.4

FOREIGN PATENTS 472,403 3/ 1949 Canada.

198,985 6/1908 Germany.

594,702 6/ 1959 Italy.

611,773 10/1960 Italy.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHOE TREE DEVICE, COMPRISING A TOE PORTION HAVING A LOWER EDGE IN THE SHAPE OF THE BORDER OF THE SOLE OF A SHOE, AN UPPER PART, A FRONT INTERMEDIATE PART IN THE SHAPE OF THE FRONT OF A SHOE BETWEEN THE LOWER EDGE AND THE UPPER PART AND A BACK INTERMEDIATE PART BETWEEN SAID LOWER EDGE AND SAID UPPER PART HAVING A BACK EDGE; A HEEL PORTION HAVING A LOWER EDGE IN THE SHAPE OF THE BORDER OF THE HEEL OF A SHOE, AN UPPER PART, A BACK PART IN THE SHAPE OF THE BACK OF A SHOE BETWEEN THE LOWER EDGE AND THE UPPER PART AND A FRONT PART BETWEEN SAID LOWER EDGE AND SAID UPPER PART HAVING A FRONT EDGE; COUPLING MEANS PIVOTALLY COUPLING SAID TOE PORTION AND SAID HEEL PORTION, SAID COUPLING MEANS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC STRIP AFFIXED AT ONE END TO SAID TOE PORTION AT THE UPPER PART THEREOF AND AFFIXED AT ITS OPPOSITE END TO SAID HEEL PORTION AT THE UPPER PART THEREOF; AND ADJUSTING MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE POSITIONS OF SAID TOE AND HEEL PORTIONS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID ADJUSTING MEANS BEING SPACED FROM SAID COUPLING MEANS AND COMPRISING FIRST COMPONENTS AFFIXED TO SAID TOE PORTION AT THE BACK INTERMEDIATE PART THEREOF AND SECOND COMPONENTS COOPERATING WITH SAID FIRST COMPONENTS AND AFFIXED TO SAID HEEL PORTION AT THE FRONT PART THEREOF. 